So easy even a monkey could do it (cooking related)

[avaserfi]

Recipe: No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.


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The recipe is a bread recipe I have been making for a while. It uses a relatively old and easy technique called autolysis to develop large amounts of gluten within the dough. The one thing I never liked about the recipe was that it required use of a dutch oven which makes for another piece of equipment to buy and store. Instead of admitting defeat I looked into alternate methods. After no luck I talked to my sister (http://hungrycravings.blogspot.com/) (a classically trained chef and baker) who solved the problem...

If you have a dutch oven go ahead and make it the intended way, it will save you a little trouble. Now if you want to shape the dough differently than the dutch oven or don't have one here is the method I use (Do note the dough will be very sticky and runny. Be sure to flour your hands and the surface well):

After step 2 I move the dough onto a piece of floured parchment paper (not wax paper). Fold the dough according to the directions, but leave the seam up and form into whatever shape you want (this is also the point where I mix in cheese/bacon etc... if I want to). Cover with a towel and let sit for 2 hours. After the dough is done rising cut the parchment paper so there are no edges greater than an inch around the dough to prevent burning in the oven. Slide the dough (still on the paper) on a peel or wood cutting board and put a bowl of ice water in the oven along with the dough. After 30 minutes remove the ice water and continue to cook as directed. If your oven isn't that great, like mine, you might need to rotate the loaf when removing the water to get even caramelization on the crust. Let cool before cutting if you can resist the wait for world class bread.

With this method you can cook on a cookie sheet, but I strongly recommend against it. You will get far better results with a baking stone on the bottom rack of your oven. The cheap way of getting a stone is going to Lowes/Home Depot and buying unglazed quarry tile. Rinse it off with water after purchase then temper it in the oven. Since it is wet leave it at 200 for 25 minutes or so then gradually up the temperature to 450 degrees. I never take mine out of the oven, if it does need to be cleaned scrape off the mess first then rinse with no soap and dry in the oven at a low temperature or it will crack.

Pictures of the first loaf (extra sharp cheddar, bacon and chives) I made using the no dutch oven technique:

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Random021.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Random023.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Random024.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Random027.jpg

[Adam]

Andrew, you know that the monkey isn't supposed to have bacon. That's just cruel. :p

[Thanks for the recipe and instructions, btw!]

[MinusTheBear]

Thanks for posting that delicious looking bread avaserfi. Intersting enough I watched a food network program on no knead bread a few weeks ago. Your technique would be very similar to his no knead city bread as he calls it, cooked in a covered stainless steel pot. BTW I like yours better;).
Here is the link to the program below just for reference.

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=9530

I could make a meal of that amazing looking bread that you made with just some butter.

[Alex2507]

Andrew, you know that the monkey isn't supposed to have bacon. That's just cruel. :p


No bacon, no cheese, no white bread ... this is beyond cruel. :D

[avaserfi]

No bacon, no cheese, no white bread ... this is beyond cruel. :D

Originally I was going to have Adam in the title instead of monkey, but I figured Adam would just look for the bread on Amazon as his way of baking it :).

If you can't have white bread just use 2 cups regular flour and 1 cup rye flour or some other type. It should work pretty well.

[jwenthold99]

Wow! I am going to have to try this. I d have a dutch oven, but I like the free-form look of your loaf. And I have a baking stone, so this should work well!

[Alex2507]

I figured Adam would just look for the bread on Amazon as his way of baking it :).

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k479/Alex2507_2008/online-shopping-cartoon-1.jpg

He only leaves the house for the good pizza that they don't deliver and beer. :D

[MinusTheBear]

Wow! I am going to have to try this. I d have a dutch oven, but I like the free-form look of your loaf. And I have a baking stone, so this should work well!

We will see if I am more capable than a monkey;). I whipped up 1 batch. I probably won't get back to it in about 18-20 hours. When it comes time to fold the dough and shape I might incorporate some very finely chopped jalepeno peppers and cheddar cheese.

[avaserfi]

We will see if I am more capable than a monkey;). I whipped up 1 batch. I probably won't get back to it in about 18-20 hours. When it comes time to fold the dough and shape I might incorporate some very finely chopped jalepeno peppers and cheddar cheese.

Sounds good to me. I have some proofing right now (3rd batch in as many days :eek:). This one will turn into hamburger buns so they are plain. I couldn't bring myself to make delicious burgers and put them on white bread...

[jwenthold99]

Sounds good to me. I have some proofing right now (3rd batch in as many days :eek:). This one will turn into hamburger buns so they are plain. I couldn't bring myself to make delicious burgers and put them on white bread...

Do you just make mini-loaves for the buns? Different baking time?

[avaserfi]

Do you just make mini-loaves for the buns? Different baking time?

Yeah, I made mini-loaves. It is hard to form them because the dough is so wet (a common trait of artisan dough), but you get used to working with the wet dough. After folding the dough and letting it sit 15 minutes I cut it into 9 equal pieces and formed the rounds.

Not sure on cooking time yet. This is my first shot at buns with this recipe since I didn't have enough time to make my normal bun recipe. I will be sure to report back on how well they worked out and cooking time.

[jwenthold99]

Yeah, I made mini-loaves. It is hard to form them because the dough is so wet (a common trait of artisan dough), but you get used to working with the wet dough. After folding the dough and letting it sit 15 minutes I cut it into 9 equal pieces and formed the rounds.

Not sure on cooking time yet. This is my first shot at buns with this recipe since I didn't have enough time to make my normal bun recipe. I will be sure to report back on how well they worked out and cooking time.

Thanks, regular buns suck (had some last night!), so this would contribute to an awesome burger experience!

[MinusTheBear]

If this is succesful I might do another batch and make individual dinner rolls. What I was thinking was portioning the proofed loaf into balls of dough and using a lightly sprayed non stick muffin tin (one used for medium sized muffins) and let the balls proof in the tin for 2-3 hours, then bake at 400-450?? until the rolls are golden brown on top.

[jwenthold99]

If this is succesful I might do another batch and make individual dinner rolls. What I was thinking was portioning balls of dough and using a lightly sprayed non stick muffin tin (one used for medium sized muffins) and let the balls proof in the tin for 2-3 hours then bake at 400-450?? until the rolls are golden brown on top.

That is why I love this recipe...(disclaimer, I still need to try it, but the photos have me convinced) it's so simple to make, and cheap, you can experiment.

[avaserfi]

If this is succesful I might do another batch and make individual dinner rolls. What I was thinking was portioning loaf intoballs of dough and using a lightly sprayed non stick muffin tin (one used for medium sized muffins) and let the balls proof in the tin for 2-3 hours then bake at 400-450?? until the rolls are golden brown on top.

That would probably work well, but I am obsessed with a crispy, crunchy, crust which means a stone must be used :).

[MinusTheBear]

What will the dough smell like after 20 hours? The last time I made bread that took a long drawn out process (it was a combination room temp, refridgerator rise and had more ingredients such as sugar, butter etc), the next day the dough had a very strong odour and it smelled like alcohol. How different will this smell since the absence of sugar can't convert yeast to alcohol?

[avaserfi]

It will have a strong bread odor, like most other breads. It shouldn't smell sour, there isn't enough time for wild yeasts to get to work in this case. I wouldn't recommend sticking your head in the bowel and sniffing though, there will be a layer of CO2 in the bowel and it hurts to breath that stuff in.

In this case, rather than metabolizing sugar, the yeast is metabolizing itself (and other yeast) this is what causes the dough to rise and creates such a glutenous structure. The process is called autolysis, in fermented beverages it can ruin a whole batch. With bread it makes a wonderful loaf.

[avaserfi]

I just pulled the buns out of the oven. I did 20 minutes with the ice water in and about 10 without. Normally, I recommend cooling the bread before cutting into it, but for the sake of you guys I opened one up and am currently doing a taste test. They turned out really good. Perhaps a little to crisp for some people to use as a burger bun (you can cut down on the without portion of the baking since the dough should be cooked through after 20 minutes), but I store them in the freezer and that cuts down on the crustiness a little bit. If I was going to do it again, I would probably make 8 burger buns from one recipe or 10 dinner rolls. Now the hard part is not eating all of them. Good thing there is another loaf laced with Parmesan in the fridge :).

[jwenthold99]

I just pulled the buns out of the oven. I did 20 minutes with the ice water in and about 10 without. Normally, I recommend cooling the bread before cutting into it, but for the sake of you guys I opened one up and am currently doing a taste test. They turned out really good. Perhaps a little to crisp for some people to use as a burger bun (you can cut down on the without portion of the baking since the dough should be cooked through after 20 minutes), but I store them in the freezer and that cuts down on the crustiness a little bit. If I was going to do it again, I would probably make 8 burger buns from one recipe or 10 dinner rolls. Now the hard part is not eating all of them. Good thing there is another loaf laced with Parmesan in the fridge :).

ooooh... with Parmesan, now that sounds good... maybe with some roasted garlic :)

[jwenthold99]

Oh, I was going to mention, avaserfi, your sisters blog is quite nice! I have used several of her recipes, and they have all been phenomenal!

[avaserfi]

The obligatory pictures of the buns now that they have cooled down fully. My total involvment in the creation process was about 15 minutes. Certainly makes it easy to make a loaf or two a week.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/BurgerBuns001.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/BurgerBuns003.jpg

Oh, I was going to mention, avaserfi, your sisters blog is quite nice! I have used several of her recipes, and they have all been phenomenal!

Thanks, I will send the message to her as well! I am a pretty big fan of the site myself. Now I don't even have to call her for recipes anymore she seems to be reading my mind lately.

[jwenthold99]

Looks great, I am off for home to whip up a batch to start proofing!

[lsiberian]

First you got me hooked on DIY speakers/subs and now your working on getting me to make DIY bread. :D

[jwenthold99]

just mixed up a batch and put it to bed, tomorrow night at this time there will be fresh bread in the house!

[MinusTheBear]

just mixed up a batch and put it to bed, tomorrow night at this time there will be fresh bread in the house!

I took a peak about 7 hours in and I had a few bubbles forming on top of the dough. The dough is working itself but still needs a lot more time to proof. So far so good:D....most likely though I will be making the bread with a slight hangover early tomorrow morning:eek:... as of now I am leaning towards making the dough into dinner rolls and see how they turn out....then making another batch using avaserfi technique in hopes of getting a nice crusty loaf .:)

[jwenthold99]

I checked mine this morning at 6, about 9 hours into it. I am going to work on it as soon as I get home from work, which will be about 19 hours. It should be good, our house is cooler than the recommended 70d.

[MinusTheBear]

I ended up making dinner rolls this morning. I cooked them in a convection oven at 350 degrees for 40 mins or until they were brown on top. I was very surprised when I tried them how crunchy the outside layer of the roll was. The contrast in textures is phenomenal, crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the inside. The flavour the dough develops is great. I had a few of them with some butter and a cup of coffee. It was delicious.

http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq194/Tom_W_/Rolls.jpg

[jwenthold99]

I ended up making dinner rolls this morning. I cooked them in a convection oven at 350 degrees for 40 mins or until they were brown on top. I was very surprised when I tried them how crunchy the outside layer of the roll was. The contrast in textures is phenomenal, crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the inside. The flavour the dough develops is great. I had a few of them with some butter and a cup of coffee. It was delicious.


Wow, looks great! I am looking forward to tonight!

[jwenthold99]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26909189@N06/3422848116/" title="IMG_3323 by jwenthold, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3422848116_532ae215df_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="IMG_3323" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26909189@N06/3422849176/" title="IMG_3324 by jwenthold, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3422849176_b112044008_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="IMG_3324" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26909189@N06/3422850024/" title="IMG_3325 by jwenthold, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3422850024_7cc0b1a2d4_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="IMG_3325" /></a>

I was impressed with the results. The only hiccup I had was not putting enough flour on the tile, and it stuck :mad:

it has an awesome crust, and tasted great. Another batch gets started tonight!

Thanks for the recipe!

[avaserfi]

Glad to see some are enjoying the recipe.

My next plan (probably over summer) is to make a sour dough version of this. Theoretically, summer is a time when I have more free time since I work and don't have as many classes. Rarely does it pan out like that, but I have intentions of starting cheese making and making some sour breads/beers. Right now I am trying my hand at charcuterie. If we get a house I will be growing a garden too. Down with being a food consumerist! :D

In any of the cases, I will be sure to notify the board of simple techniques, such as this, that I find.

[jwenthold99]

Glad to see some are enjoying the recipe.

In any of the cases, I will be sure to notify the board of simple techniques, such as this, that I find.

Excellent, I love this kind of stuff... I want to do some container gardens, at least for some tomatoes and peppers this summer. You are just so limited in a house:(

[avaserfi]

Excellent, I love this kind of stuff... I want to do some container gardens, at least for some tomatoes and peppers this summer. You are just so limited in a house:(

If you have good window access or a safe porch I would start growing some herbs. I do it in my apartment. Also, if you aren't after a huge yield you can brew some fruits/veggies in small pots. You might only get a couple strawberries, tomatoes, peppers or whatever, but they will be amazing and worth the minor effort.

[MinusTheBear]

Awesome jwenthold99!!! :D

[jwenthold99]

Quick question for avaserfi;

How do you store the bread short term to maintain the crust?

Also, my wife tried it, loved it, and asked if I was going to start making all our bread! :eek:

[avaserfi]

How do you store the bread short term to maintain the crust?

It depends, if you want the loaf to last about a day store it in a paper bag. If you want it to last for a few more days wrap it completely in plastic wrap then freeze the bread or put it in a cold dark place. Remove from the freezer 2 hours before you want to eat and let it thaw naturally. Alternatively, you can pre-slice the bread if you want (I do) and store in the freezer in zip top bags just remove as much air as possible.

Avoid heating in a microwave or oven to thaw as that will dry the bread out and make it chewy. If you must, place the bread in a 400 degree F oven with a warm damp towel. Check the towel every so often to ensure that it isn't dry wetting as needed. A whole loaf will take around 20-30 minutes. The last few minutes remove the towel and up the oven to 450 degrees for extra crunch in the crust.

Note: all this advice is from the wonderful book The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. A wonderful book on making a variety of breads - techniques and all. Most recipes take some effort and time, but they are well worth it.

The last loaf I made from the book can be seen here (http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Challah002.jpg).

Also, my wife tried it, loved it, and asked if I was going to start making all our bread! :eek:

I make all our bread now. It is cheaper, tastes better and I find working with dough relaxing. In addition to that it really impresses people when they find out you make bread from scratch ;). Although, it does help that I am all for the slow food movement and abhor the growing obsession with fast food.

[MinusTheBear]

Here is my second loaf that I baked off today :D:D:D

http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq194/Tom_W_/Bread.jpg

http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq194/Tom_W_/Bread1.jpg

[jwenthold99]

Here is my second loaf that I baked off today :D:D:D


Did you use a bread pan? looks like it worked well!

I am mixing up a half white half wheat batch just to see how it works. Healthy it up a little bit.

[MinusTheBear]

Did you use a bread pan? looks like it worked well!

I am mixing up a half white half wheat batch just to see how it works. Healthy it up a little bit.

Thanks!

Yes I did use a bread pan. After the dough was done (it sat for around 22+ hours this time), I folded it over a few times, let it sit for 10 mins or so and then shaped it into somewhat of a loaf form and placed it inside the bread pan and let it proof for 2 hours before baking (it will fill itself in the bread pan while it proofs). I used a convection oven and baked the loaf at 350 degrees for around an hour.

[avaserfi]

Did you have a bowl of ice water in the oven when for the first half of cooking? It is hard to tell from the picture, but the crumb doesn't seem to have as much spring as I am used to seeing from this technique.

[MinusTheBear]

Did you have a bowl of ice water in the oven when for the first half of cooking? It is hard to tell from the picture, but the crumb doesn't seem to have as much spring as I am used to seeing from this technique.

No, I have not used that technique yet. I have been baking the loaves just using a standard convection oven and baking at 350.

[avaserfi]

No, I have not used that technique yet. I have been baking the loaves just using a standard convection oven and baking at 350.

If you add the technique the crumb will develop far more which will result in a less dense bread. More like what you would see from a well regarded professional bakery with this style of bread at least. It is worth trying at least once, in my opinion, since it is so easy and I find the results to be far superior. In either case you have great bread though!

[jwenthold99]

I made a batch using half wheat, half white flower and it turned out ok. It didn't rise as much as the white did, but it had a decent texture, and the taste was great!

I watched the video again, and my batches just didn't rise much the second time. And after the two hour rise, they still seem to be really "wet" compared to what it looks like in the video. I just think it should rise more during the 2 hours before the oven, and firm up a little bit. Any ideas?

[avaserfi]

I made a batch using half wheat, half white flower and it turned out ok. It didn't rise as much as the white did, but it had a decent texture, and the taste was great!

I watched the video again, and my batches just didn't rise much the second time. And after the two hour rise, they still seem to be really "wet" compared to what it looks like in the video. I just think it should rise more during the 2 hours before the oven, and firm up a little bit. Any ideas?

Sorry I missed this question. The dough will be fairly wet and sticky even after the 2 hour rise. The first time you mess with the dough when you fold it over and let it sit for 15 minutes will take away some of that wetness. After the 2 hours it should be about double in size, but will still be gooey.

What temperature are you keeping it at during the rise? It might be that your room is too cold and inhibiting yeast activity. If that is the case, it might need a little extra time.

[jwenthold99]

Sorry I missed this question. The dough will be fairly wet and sticky even after the 2 hour rise. The first time you mess with the dough when you fold it over and let it sit for 15 minutes will take away some of that wetness. After the 2 hours it should be about double in size, but will still be gooey.

What temperature are you keeping it at during the rise? It might be that your room is too cold and inhibiting yeast activity. If that is the case, it might need a little extra time.

I did some research, and I think the room temp is lower than it should be. I'll experiment some more next week. Happy Easter to everyone!

[avaserfi]

I did some research, and I think the room temp is lower than it should be. I'll experiment some more next week. Happy Easter to everyone!

If your room temp is above 60* F I wouldn't worry too much. Just give the bread some extra time to grow. If it is below turn the heat on! :D You can get a heat pad and use that or place the dough close to your oven as it heats up, that might work.

[avaserfi]

I was playing around yesterday and made a sweet cinnamon bread using this technique.

Mix together

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Mix with 3/4 cups water and let sit for about 15-20 hours. Fold, let sit 15 minutes then grease a muffin tin with butter or some spray oil and separate the dough into 12 pieces. One per muffin chamber. Let rise 2 hours then cook for 20 minutes at 300 degrees with ice water in the oven the whole time. After 20 minutes they are ready. Pull the out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

These will be very soft and are not extremely sweet Rather, it is a slightly sweet bread with a touch of cinnamon flavor. In fact, they will turn out pink because of the cinnamon.

edit: I just realized, if you up the sugar to between 1/2 and 1 cup, butter the muffin tin very well and sprinkle a good amount of brown sugar in there you will have something that closely resembles sticky buns, but with far less work. Temperature adjustments might need to be made up to 350 degrees F.

Pictures:

Top

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Food007.jpg

Bottom

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll171/avaserfi/food/Food008.jpg

[jamie2112]

I would love to know how I missed this thread. Nice one Andrew...I will be trying it this week.